What is the What - Dave Eggers

What is the What tells the story of Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Achak was born in southern Sudan but was forced to leave his small village when his village was burned to the ground during the second Sudanese Civil War. Not knowing if his parents survived the massacre in his village, Achak roamed through war-torn Sudan along with other young boys who escaped similar massacres in their vilages. No place is safe for Achak, and he encounters death by all means imaginable: war, hunger, lions... Eventually, after walking through Sudan and Ethiopia Achak finds safety at a UN refugee camp in Kenya where he lives for many years before being sent to Atlanta in 2001. Eggers does a remarkable job telling Achak's story by intermingling his hardships in Africa with his problems of acclimating to life in Atlanta. I do not remember when I was last so moved by a book. While reading this book, I was constantly reminded that there is always much more we can do to help others. I'd highly recommend this book.

Completed: April 21, 2007